Research study identifies $2.5 billion of unsold household goods for circular economy.

 

Office and school supplies have been identified as a target for umbrella charity group Good360, which distributes surplus goods to charities and people in need.

 

According to a new research study, around $2.5 billion worth of unsold goods are “wasted” annually in Australia.

 

Research firm Deloitte Access Economics consulted with Big W and Winc Australia for the report, which was commissioned by Good360 in partnership with the Australian Retailers Association.

 

The report revealed that electronics and whitegoods ($721 million) and clothing ($618 million) accounted for the lion’s share of ‘household goods wasted by category’ in 2021 while office and school supplies ($29 million) and cleaning supplies ($30 million) were among the minor categories.

 

In 2021 alone, governments across Australia gave $2.7 billion to charities, of which approximately $400 million was used to purchase household goods for their clients. 

 

At the same time, industry has a surplus of more than $2.5 billion worth of these exact same goods, which, according to Good360, are “wasted” or end up in landfill every year.

 

“By redirecting a larger portion of industry’s $2.5 billion (per annum) in unsold surplus goods to people in need, governments will save money and actively participate in the circular economy,” Matt Barnett, chairman of Good360 Australia, said.